Short Story - One True Friend

ॐ नमो नारायण ! जय श्री कृष्णा 

While teaching and explaining Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, Acharya Shri Shivender Nagar Ji tells beautiful and knowledgeable short stories. These short stories are instrumental in explaining a point in the discussion. The following is one such short story.

As I heard it from Acharya Ji, I am not aware of the original title so I named it One True Friend. This story is for explaining the 12 यज्ञ (Yagya) in chapter 4 of ShriMad Bhagwat Geeta Ji.

Imagine that you are in a very deep sleep. You are dreaming about a lot of things. In your dream, your stomach starts to ache very badly. Although it is a dream still you feel agonizing pain. The pain is so bad that you can't even stand, you vomit all over the place and you lie down with no despair.

Further in your dream, all of your friends visit to check on you,

The first friend of your visits you he gives you some money to get yourself treated. He tries to help you financially.

The second friend of your visits you and clean up your room of vomit. He tries to help you physically

The third friend of your visits you and offers to help you mentally and takes care of teaching your children and taking them to school.

A fourth friend of yours who is a doctor gives you some consultation on how to get your stomach ache treated. He tries to help you with knowledge.

The fifth friend of your visits you and after understanding your state gives you a tight slap across your face. Due to the sudden shock, you wake up. You realize it was a dream and you do not have a stomach ache.
Acharya Ji concludes the story here.


Learnings from the story:

As an explanation, sharing one चौपाई (Chopayi) from श्रीरामचरितमानस (ShriRamCharitManas) अरण्यकाण्ड (Aranyakand)

चौपाई : उमा कहउँ मैं अनुभव अपना। सत हरि भजनु जगत सब सपना॥

भावार्थ : हे उमा! मैं तुम्हें अपना अनुभव कहता हूँ- हरि का भजन ही सत्य है, यह सारा जगत्‌ तो स्वप्न (की भाँति झूठा) है।


The question here is, out of the five who is your one true friend ??

Quite simply anyone will choose the fifth one who made you realize the truth, that it was just a dream.

But how does this story is relevant to our daily lives ??

Our life and its problems are represented by stomach ache. We try to live our lives and solve our life's problems financially, physically, mentally, and with knowledge.

But only through spiritual guidance, we can realize the truth. The truth that our lives are nothing more than a dream. A dream we can try to wake up from by self-realization. Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta Ji is a guide to be self-realized.

In chapter 4 of ShriMad Bhagwat Geeta Ji, from verse 25 to  30. Bhagwan Ji talks about 12 यज्ञ (Yagya) the we do and can perform. The above 5 friends which are discussed in this story are part of the it.  

Anyone can study, practice and try to wake from the dream that we all are in.

Short Story - Self Realization

ॐ नमो नारायण ! जय श्री कृष्णा 

While teaching and explaining Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, Acharya Shri Shivender Nagar Ji tells beautiful and knowledgeable short stories. These short stories are instrumental in explaining a point in the discussion. The following is one such short story.

As I heard it from Acharya Ji, I am not aware of the original title so I named it Self Realization. It depicts the supreme learning of वेद (Veda) through this simplest of all stories.

Once there was a young man named Manish. After some argument with his parents, Manish left his parents home and went out of town. Manish's parents started to look for him, but they were unable to find him. Perhaps the Manish didn't want to be found.

Manish's father focused all his energy on work to overcome the grief of his lost son. Due to his newfound focus, his small business started to thrive and over the years he became very wealthy.

Manish's parents lived a full life and before they died, they asked their friend who was also a lawyer to take care of their wealth after they are gone. And if someday their son returns give all the money to him. Both of them died soon leaving behind immense wealth.

After a few years, Manish returned to his native city, he wasn't young anymore. His time on his own was very harsh on him, due to immense poverty he looked just like another beggar. Starving thin body covered in torn old clothes and rusty old shoes confirmed his deteriorating state of life.

He soon found that his parents were dead, as a last resort he started to search for his father's lawyer friend. After locating him he went to meet. His intention was to get any job even of a peon so that he doesn't starve to death. Manish's father's friend was a kind-hearted and righteous man, he recognized Manish and initiated the process of transferring money to its rightful owner.

The lawyer took Manish to a bank, he asked Manish to wait outside while he went inside an office to meet with the bank manager. Manish thought he must have gone to arrange for some work for him. The lawyer told the manager that the rightful owner of the biggest estate is sitting outside and arrange for the transfer. Soon after which Manish found that his parents have left him a huge sum of money. Manish's life was changed forever.

Acharya Ji concluded the story here.

Learnings from the story:

Just like the son of a Sharma is also Sharma and the son of Gupta is also Gupta. Similarly, if we are children of God then who are we ??

Acharya Ji quotes we all are अमृतस्य पुत्रा (Amritasya Putra) आत्मस्वरूप (Atmswaroop), ब्रह्मस्वरूप (Bhramswaroop) which I believe is from उपनिषद् (Upnishads). Which simply means children of immortality or simply children of God. So, if we are children of God then we are God as well.

Although Manish lived like a beggar for most of his life, he was always quite rich. If we think carefully then we will realize his worth was quite a lot but he just wasn't aware. Once he is aware his life got changed.  

Similarly, we all children of God and part of him, we are not yet aware of the fact. We can if we are self-realized. And the way for self-realization is discussed in ShriMad Bhagwat Geeta Ji.

Song - Ye kaun chitrakar hai | ये कौन चित्रकार है

Shri Narayan

ॐ नमो नारायण ! जय श्री कृष्णा 

While teaching and explaining Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta, Acharya Shri Shivender Nagar Ji tells beautiful and knowledgeable short stories. These short stories are instrumental in explaining a point in the discussion. The following is a song from an Indian movie बूंद जो बन गई मोती | Boond Jo Ban Gayi Moti.

Acharya Ji uses this song to explain how a person with higher intellect views the world. Because his intellect is quite strong and evolved he see everything in nature with awe and wonder. As he wonders how beautiful the nature is, he also contemplates who must have thought and made it so. This is what song means and  what Acharya is trying to explain.

No offense intended on anyone, but people with lower intellect views the Niagara falls as just a hole in the ground with water flowing in.

Lyrics in Hindi:

हरी हरी वसुंधरा नीला नीला ये गगन
के जिस पे बदलो की पालकी उड़ा रहा पवन
दिशऐ देखो रंगभरी,  चमक रही उमंग भरी
यह किसने फूल फूल पे किया सिंगार है
ये कौन चित्रकार है
तपस्वियों सी है अटल ये पर्वतो की चोटिया , ये सर्प सी घुमेरदार घेरदार घाटिया
ध्वजा से ये खड़े हुए है वृक्ष देवदार के
गलीचे से गुलाब के, गलीचे ये बहार के
के किस कवि की कल्पना  का चमत्कार है
ये कौन चित्रकार है

कुदरत की इस पवितरता को तुम निहार लो
इसके गुणों को अपने मन में तुम उतर लो
चमका लो आज लालिमा अपने ललाट की
कण कण से झांकती तुम्हे छवि विराट की
अपनी तो एक आँख है उसकी हज़ार है
ये कौन चित्रकार है

ये कौन चित्रकार है

 

Transliteration:

Hari hari wasundhara nila nila ye gagan
Ke jis pe badalo ki palaki uda raha pawan
Dishaye dekho rangbhari
Chamak rahi umang bhari
Ye kis ne phool phool pe kiya singar hai
Ye kaun chitrakar hai
Tapaswiyo si hai atal ye parawato ki chotiya Ye sarp si ghumeradar, gheradar ghatiya
Dhwaja se ye khade huye hai wariaksh dewadar ke
Galiche ye gulab ke, bagiche ye bahar ke
Ye kis kavi ki kalpana
Ye kis kavi ki kalpana ka chamatkar hai
Ye kaun chitrakar hai

Kudrat Ki Is Pavitrataa Ko Tum Nihaar Lo,
Iske Guno Ko Apne Man Mein Tum Utaar Lo,
Chamkaa Lo Aaj Lalimaa Apne Lalaat Ki
Kan Kan Se Jhaankati Tumhe Chhavi Viraat Ki,
Apni To Aankh Ek Hai, Uski Hazaar Hain,

Ye kaun chitrakar hai

Translation:

Who is the painter ??

Blue sky above lush green earth.

On the sky the wind is moving palanquins of clouds

Direction are colorful, they are glittering with joy

Who has decorated every single flower.

Who is the painter ??

Mountain peaks are immovable like great sages. Valleys round like snakes.

Cedar trees are tall like flags, gardens of spring.

Which poet has imagined this magic.

Who is the painter ??

Gaze upon the purity of nature

Consume its good qualities.

Brighten the shine on your face.

Almighty peeks at you from every particle

We have only one eye and he has a thousands.

Who is the painter ??

Who is the painter ??